Improvement in metallic cartridges



F. W. FREUND.- Metallic-Cartridge.

`No.l60,763 l Patentedmarchmnaas nrrED sra'rasg Pari-Enr @Errea FRANK w. FREUND, or DENVER, COLORADO TERRITORY.

lMlPRQl/EMMENT IN METALLIC CARTRIDGES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. R60,763,`dated March 16, 1875; application tiled February 4, 1874.

To all whom it 'may concern: y

Be it known that I, FRANK W. FREUND, of Denver, county of Arapahoe, Territory ot' Golorado, have invented a new and Improved Reloading Rifle-Cartridge; and I' do hereby declare that the following is a'full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which- Figure l is alongitudinal central section,

and Fig. 2 a like section, showing thelthinned .ing unequally, makes it ditticult to withdraw the cartridge, and still 'more dificult to reinsert the cartridge after it has been reloaded. This dithculty I obviate in my improved eartridge by making it considerably longer than the cartridge in common use, and by construct ing it with a solid or thickened head of such length as will cause the bulk of the powder to be located (when the cartridge is inserted in the barrel) at a point considerably in advance ot' the extreme rear end of the barrel. By my invention I overcome or avoid the objectionable eXpansion both of the barrel and the cartridge, which is incident to the use of the cartridges as now commonly constructed.

In the drawings, D, Fig. 1, indicates a portion of my ca'rtridge,which is made thinned from about the point a: a: to the mouth or muzzle, while in rear ofthe point 00 x the cartridge is made solid or thickened, as indicated at A B. From the point w to the muzzle I harden the steel of which it is composed, making it of iine spring temper, and from said point x x to the rear termination-of the shell I leave the steel soft or unhardened. I construct the part of my shell shown at A B, in rear of'the point w a', in a solid or thick condition, for the reason', rst, that I thus prevent an expansion of the shell against the barrel; and, second',-l'

make it of metal which isA soft or unhardened, because, from actual trial, I have discovered' that practically such metal will not granulate and become weakened by the shock of explosion, and so split and break. The part D is made ot' spring temper, so, that it will, if ex` panded by explosiomimmediately return to its normal condition.

In the drawings, a represents the anvil for the percussioucap, with a line perforation passing through the solid part B, and making connection with a reduced powder-chamber, C, which inturn makes connection with the main powder-chamber D.

lhe object of construct-in g the cartridge with va reduced powder-chamber, G, in connection with a main powder-chamber, D, is, first, to so divide the .charge of powder that the least shock of explosion shall fall upon the rear end ot' the cartridge as well as the extreme rear end of the gun, while at the same time the heaviest shock will fall upon the gun-barrel at a point considerably forward ot' its extreme rear end; second, by thus dividing the charge ot' powder".tlie shock of explosion is divided and distributed in the cartridge, and -the main chamber D relieved of a portion of the shock and power of the explosion.

The :nain powder-chamber terminates in an annular recess or gas-cup, d d, and the reduced powder-chamber C also terminates in a like recess or gas-cup, c, as shown in Figs. l and 2.

The recoil ot' an explosion is received in and checked by recesses c d, and thus the shock ot' discharge is lessened in its eli'ect both upon the cartridge and the gun-barrel itself. Besides this the gas is more or less prevented from being forced through the small aperture in the anvil a, leading into -the reduced chainber C. It is believed, also, that ifthc bulk of the powder lies close to the rear end oi' the barrel the danger from accident is greater than when the charge is located farther forward, as when at the rear the explosion is near the joint or fastening of the breech, and being near the fire-tube connecting with the Apowder the tire-tube becomes worn more easily than when the bulk ofthe powder is removed to a point forward in the barrel.

The advantages of my improved shell, .it will be seen, are, first, that its rear portion 1S considerably forward of the extreme rear end of the gun-barrel; fourtl1,that an enlarged and -avreduced powder-chamber are in conjunction check recoil, and lessen .liability to accident near the joint-or fastening of the breech; fifth,

litexpanded by explosion it will at once return made of solid metal of such thickness that no i expansion of it can take place in the act of explosion; second, that such rear portiong which constitutes about one-third ofthe length ofthe shell, is made of soft metal, and thus resists a grannlation and weakening of the shell, to which it Wouldrbe subject under the successive jar and shock of constant retiring; it it Were. -made ofhardened metal; third, that the'bulk of powderv occupies aposition in the shell Which when the shell is inserted in the barrel, will be utilized to divide the shock of an explosion,

that at a point in the main chamber D upon which the greatest force of the explosion falls 'the metal is made elastic or .springy, so that to its norm al condition, and thus allow its easy retraction from the gi1n-barrel, 'as Well as subsequent insertion thereof, These advantages, in a measure, relieve the breech end of the gun troni undue strainl when iii-ed, and add to the safety as well as to the conv'enienceand facility of manipulating the gun. r

I will here state that the'comparatively solid and thick portionfof myshell AB, w,hich isili rear of the line w x, may be'made of brass; cop-V per, or other suitable soft metal, ,instead ofsoft steel, and unitedto the forward portion -D'by screw-thread, las 'indicated at y y in Fig. 2.

- What I claim as my invention isl. A cartridge-shell made, substantially as described, of one piece of metal, with a small powder-ti1be, G,- between a fire-tube' and a main Vpowder-chamber, D.

2. A cartridgeshell made, snbstantially as described, with' a thin hard-metal 'portion7 D; a

anda thick soft-metal portion, A B.'

' Witnesses:

L. K; -JoHNsoN, L, C. GHA'RLEsf FRANK W. FREUND.- 

